Discussion
If you've got a pressure washer there are plenty of inexpensive options, from memory I paid about £25 for mine. You can buy expensive "snow foam" but I use a citrus based APC, about an inch in the bottom of the bottle, and it gets very snowy. 
Just had a quick check, I think I have this lance: https://www.monzacarcare.com/shop/washing-and-dryi...
Can't remember where I got the APC from.
All that said, I tend to wetten, spray with APC from a pump bottle, work it in a bit with a soft brush and then rinse with a hose.
Just had a quick check, I think I have this lance: https://www.monzacarcare.com/shop/washing-and-dryi...
Can't remember where I got the APC from.
All that said, I tend to wetten, spray with APC from a pump bottle, work it in a bit with a soft brush and then rinse with a hose.
1) Hose (on gentle spray) to soak.
2) Bucket of soapy water, sponge, soft brush for trickier areas.
3) Hose to rinse
4) Leather or microfibre excess water off
Optional if you can be bothered:
5) WD-40 on cloth to clean/shine the black bits of the engine
6) Autoglym bumper care on powder coated areas, and any textured plastics.
7) Wax polish on the paint areas
Job done and bike looking minty fresh, plus you’ve got up close and personal to all of it so you don’t miss that excessive chain slack or obviously loose fairing panel etc. Am I missing something?
2) Bucket of soapy water, sponge, soft brush for trickier areas.
3) Hose to rinse
4) Leather or microfibre excess water off
Optional if you can be bothered:
5) WD-40 on cloth to clean/shine the black bits of the engine
6) Autoglym bumper care on powder coated areas, and any textured plastics.
7) Wax polish on the paint areas
Job done and bike looking minty fresh, plus you’ve got up close and personal to all of it so you don’t miss that excessive chain slack or obviously loose fairing panel etc. Am I missing something?
You can use snowfoam on a bike but don't expect it to clean it, less so if you're only using it through a hose.
I do still use snowfoam on mine as part of my cleaning routine, but that is because it's so ingrained in to me after a good 10 years use of it.
I tend to apply it after I've cleaned the chain as it helps pull off the remaining muck from between the links. And I always use bilt hamber foam.
Rinse it off.
Wash the paintwork then the wheels with a bucket of water and shampoo and a wash mitt and various brushes.
Rinse them off.
Then work around the bike with either SDOC100 or Muc Off bike cleaner and a couple of Vikan long reach brushes.
Rinse.
Dry the entire bike with a Bruhl dryer.
I do still use snowfoam on mine as part of my cleaning routine, but that is because it's so ingrained in to me after a good 10 years use of it.
I tend to apply it after I've cleaned the chain as it helps pull off the remaining muck from between the links. And I always use bilt hamber foam.
Rinse it off.
Wash the paintwork then the wheels with a bucket of water and shampoo and a wash mitt and various brushes.
Rinse them off.
Then work around the bike with either SDOC100 or Muc Off bike cleaner and a couple of Vikan long reach brushes.
Rinse.
Dry the entire bike with a Bruhl dryer.
Edited by airsafari87 on Thursday 29th April 10:34
mikey_b said:
1) Hose (on gentle spray) to soak.
2) Bucket of soapy water, sponge, soft brush for trickier areas.
3) Hose to rinse
4) Leather or microfibre excess water off
Optional if you can be bothered:
5) WD-40 on cloth to clean/shine the black bits of the engine
6) Autoglym bumper care on powder coated areas, and any textured plastics.
7) Wax polish on the paint areas
Job done and bike looking minty fresh, plus you’ve got up close and personal to all of it so you don’t miss that excessive chain slack or obviously loose fairing panel etc. Am I missing something?
Yeah, the answer to the bit he asked about snow foam 2) Bucket of soapy water, sponge, soft brush for trickier areas.
3) Hose to rinse
4) Leather or microfibre excess water off
Optional if you can be bothered:
5) WD-40 on cloth to clean/shine the black bits of the engine
6) Autoglym bumper care on powder coated areas, and any textured plastics.
7) Wax polish on the paint areas
Job done and bike looking minty fresh, plus you’ve got up close and personal to all of it so you don’t miss that excessive chain slack or obviously loose fairing panel etc. Am I missing something?
I have used it on and off on my car, it was only the last time i used it that I really noticed it work as a pre-clean.
I measured it correctly, put hot water in the bottle and used it with my pressure washer. The foam covered well and after about 10 minutes you could see dark/dirt streaking off the paintwork. I then rinsed it and washed it per normal.
The other times i have used it, i think i used too much which created an epically thick foam that took a day to clear from the road !
I measured it correctly, put hot water in the bottle and used it with my pressure washer. The foam covered well and after about 10 minutes you could see dark/dirt streaking off the paintwork. I then rinsed it and washed it per normal.
The other times i have used it, i think i used too much which created an epically thick foam that took a day to clear from the road !
so as not to start a new thread...
How do people attack the bottom third of the bike and the grease involved? I consider myself pretty good at car cleaning/detailing and would be happy to lay hands on most cars but feel unsure with a bike.
Would an APC or general degreaser cause problems?
How do people attack the bottom third of the bike and the grease involved? I consider myself pretty good at car cleaning/detailing and would be happy to lay hands on most cars but feel unsure with a bike.
Would an APC or general degreaser cause problems?
Lukas239 said:
so as not to start a new thread...
How do people attack the bottom third of the bike and the grease involved? I consider myself pretty good at car cleaning/detailing and would be happy to lay hands on most cars but feel unsure with a bike.
Would an APC or general degreaser cause problems?
I use brake cleaner & microfibre cloth on really stubborn stuff, but avoid getting it near bearings. Apart from that, WD40, ACF50, petrol, whateverHow do people attack the bottom third of the bike and the grease involved? I consider myself pretty good at car cleaning/detailing and would be happy to lay hands on most cars but feel unsure with a bike.
Would an APC or general degreaser cause problems?
I guess this is fairly relevant in here now.
Bennetts teat of bike cleaners.
https://youtu.be/9NsFLPDgFqA
Bennetts teat of bike cleaners.
https://youtu.be/9NsFLPDgFqA
Lukas239 said:
so as not to start a new thread...
How do people attack the bottom third of the bike and the grease involved?
I sometimes apply a misting of Autosmart Tardis, leave it 5 minutes before the snow foam pre-wash. Tardis is a volatile solvents blend, as capable as petrol or white spirit for loosening grease, tar spots etc, but also water-soluble. Really good for removing ACF50/XCP accretion in Spring, just washes it all away. How do people attack the bottom third of the bike and the grease involved?
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